Center Theatre

110 S. Bickford Avenue,

El Reno,
OK73036

We could probably safely change the name of this theater to Centre Theatre.
Oklahoma weather can rarely be praised for encouraging historical preservation, but this is definitely an exception. The facade blowing off this old closed-down theater was probably the best thing that could have happened to it. The work done is stunning in person.

I worked at the Centre/Cinema Theatre from 1968 until 1991. Have a lot of wonderful memories of fun events and great friends during that time. From 1969 until 1991 the theatre was managed by Curtis and Geraldine Bullington, very good friends of mine. I worked in the projection booth, box office, concession booth, as well as tore tickets and janitoral work. I also worked during that same time at the old Squaw drive inn. The screen tower is still standing, and the last time I was there, the old projection booth and concession stand was still standing as well. It was definitely a wonderful time being there all those years.

The Centre Theatre was scheduled to open on December 1, 1944, and was one of the few new theaters to be completed in the U.S. during WWII. The issue of Boxoffice Magazine published the following day featured a rendering of the Centre’s handsome Art Moderne exterior as the front plate of the magazine’s Modern Theatre section.

An article in the magazine included a small reproduction of architect Jack Corgan’s original floor plans, and one of his sectional drawings of the house showing some nice scroll-work on the side wall. The Centre was of reinforced concrete construction, featured a section of stadium seating, and took three years to complete due to wartime shortages of manpower and materials.

Architect Corgan worked on the design and on getting priorities for building materials in his spare time, as he was drafted shortly after receiving the project and served as a flight instructor in the Army until late 1944.

The Centre was owned by Griffith-Consolidated Theatres, Inc., and was a replacement for a theater on the same site which had been destroyed by fire.

Trolley-Town Music Hall
This remodeled cinema theater houses live bands with performances in classic and new country, bluegrass and gospel. Open every 2nd and 4th Saturday from 7:30 – 9:30pm. Call 405-262-8864 for more information.
110 S. Bickford., El Reno, OK 12345

A 1987 view of the location of the former Centre Theater. Words fail me in describing how UGLY the “Cinema” is compared to its former self as the Centre. Leveling it would have been more dignified than this deplorable re-do.

This web page contains two photos of downtown El Reno, click on either one for a supersize view. Rightside of the first image has a good view of the Tiffany Cinema. The second image has an image of the Ashbrook Store, housed in the former El Caro Theatre, which was a sister house to Okmulgee’s Inca Theatre.View link

I drove past a theater in El Reno last week that was simply marked “Cinema” in script. The theater was closed. I’m not sure if this is the same theater, but I do have a picture that I can post when I get back home.